Oral hygiene arches

ABSTRACT

A device for cleansing teeth, including an arcuate housing defining an open top channel for placement over an arch of teeth and a plurality of cleansing components disposed within the channel for engaging and cleansing side and bottom surfaces of the teeth in the housing. The cleansing components include micro-fibrils that project from wall(s) of the housing or are defined on carriers suspended in a medium disposed in the channel.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/496,697, filed Aug. 21, 2003, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an oral hygiene arch for being placedin the mouth to overlie the upper or lower dental arch for receivingtherein the teeth. More specifically, the present invention relates to atrough or channel-like device conforming to the contour of the jaw andcontaining a medium or elements for engaging the teeth to clean thesame, particularly when the jaw undergoes a chewing motion.

2. Description of the Related Art

Dental disease, caries and periodontal disease are rampant. Theinfectious base of caries and periodontal disease is well documented.The complexity of the dental plaque as a bio substrate which causesdental disease is well known. This multi-factor disease is function ofhost resistance, strength of pathogen and environmental factors. Themost effective documented way to prevent and reduce incidence of dentaldisease is mechanical plaque removal.

Chemotherapeutic drugs and immunological attempts at caries andperiodontal control have been ineffective due to the diversity oforganisms involved in causing dental disease.

Tooth brushing is used with mechanical, electrical and manual brushingtechniques to disrupt the dental plaque and prevent dental disease.Inter-proximal regions have been treated using dental floss to disruptand remove the dental plaque between the teeth. A wide variety oftherapeutic agents have been added to dentifrices in order to reducedental disease, promote oral hygiene and provide hygiene and esthetics.

Patient compliance has long been recognized as a problem in successfullypreventing dental disease, the amount of time consumed in effectiveplaque removal being inhibiting. Mechanical plaque removal is also verytechnique sensitive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An oral hygiene appliance, namely an oral hygiene arch, has beendeveloped which will effectively remove dental plaque from dentalstructures including natural and prosthetic teeth, prosthetic andorthodontic appliances, gums, and supporting structures. In addition toefficiently removing plaque from the teeth and gums the oral hygienearches will cleanse the pits, grooves, fishers and smooth surfaces ofnatural and prosthetic teeth and even around implants and prostheses andorthodontic appliances.

According to this invention there is provided a trough or channel-likemember that is shaped to follow the normal contour of the upper andlower dental arch and contains tooth cleansing component(s) to engagethe surfaces of the user's teeth, to remove plaque and food debris. Inan embodiment of the invention, the tooth cleansing component(s)comprise a plurality of micro-fibrils. The micro-fibrils are adapted toengage not only the teeth but also the marginal ends of the gums as wellas project between the teeth. If desired, some of the micro-fibrils maybe longer than others or have differing tip shape to reach between theinter-proximal spaces of the teeth.

In one embodiment, the micro-fibrils are integrally molded to projectfrom the interior surface of the trough or channel of the oral hygienearch. In an alternate embodiment, the micro-fibrils are defined on thesurface of carriers suspended in a medium deposited in the trough orchannel of the oral hygiene arch. In either case, when the base of theoral hygiene arch is pressed towards the teeth received in the oralhygiene arch, such as by a chewing or a biting operation of the jaws,the micro-fibrils are forced against and between the teeth and along thesides thereof thereby cleaning the teeth and the gum line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of this invention, will be morecompletely understood and appreciated by careful study of the followingmore detailed description of the presently preferred exemplaryembodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an oral hygiene arch embodyingthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, partly in cross-section of the oral hygienearch of FIG. 1 engaging a user's tooth;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, schematic cross-section view of the oral hygienearch of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of another oral hygiene archembodying the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, schematic cross-section view of the oral hygienearch of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As presently proposed, the oral hygiene arches are comprised of a mainbody, defining the trough or channel-like U-shaped dental arch form, andtooth cleansing component(s) for engaging the surfaces of the user'steeth, to remove plaque and food debris. In a presently preferredembodiment of the invention, the tooth cleansing component(s) comprise aplurality of micro-fibrils. In one embodiment, the micro-fibrils areintegrally molded to project from the interior surface of the trough ofthe oral hygiene arch. In an alternate embodiment, the micro-fibrils aredefined on the surface of carriers suspended in a medium deposited inthe trough of the oral hygiene arch.

An oral hygiene arch according to a first embodiment of the invention isillustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1-3. This oral hygiene arch 10 iscomprised of a trough or channel-like main body 12 that is generallyU-shaped in plan so as to follow the contour of the dental arch or jaw.The oral hygiene arch 10 is also generally U-shaped in vertical sectionso as to define first and second side walls 14, 16 for being disposed inopposed facing relation to the outer and inner surfaces of the teethalong the jaw line and a base wall 18 extending between andinterconnecting the sidewalls for being disposed in opposed, facingrelation to the bottom surface of the teeth. Thus, the sidewalls andbase of the main body are adapted to surround and cover the teethprojecting from the user's gums and also to face at least the marginalends of the gums. In the illustrated embodiment, the main body furtherincludes rear walls 20, although in some embodiments, the channeldefined by the side and base walls may be open ended at the rear of thedevice.

In this embodiment, the main body of the oral hygiene arch has aplurality of closely spaced micro-fibrils 22 defined along the side andbottom wall thereof. The micro-fibrils are each about 10-20 microns wideand about 100 to several hundred microns long. The micro-fibril densityas presently proposed is about 40,000 per square centimeter. In anexemplary embodiment, the ends of the micro-fibrils are rounded so as tominimize the potential for damage or trauma to the gums and thegingivalsulcus, the narrow crevice beneath the gum line between the gumsand the teeth.

In use, the oral hygiene arch is inserted into the user's mouth and thetrough or channel is fitted over either the top or bottom arch of teeth.The user then commences a modest chewing action to displace the teethwith respect to the oral hygiene arch, typically in a circular motion.Consequently, when the teeth are moved as a result of a chewing movementof the jaws, the micro-fibrils rub against the teeth, against themarginal ends of the gums between the teeth and into other crevices ofthe teeth sides and bottom.

In an exemplary embodiment, as schematically depicted in FIG. 3, smallpockets such as micro cavities or vacuoles 24 (only a few of which areshown) are interspersed with the micro-fibrils 22 on the inner surfaceof the main body or housing 12. Contained within the micro cavities arechemicals, dentifrices, medicaments, flavorings, etc. The chewingprocess serves to release these entrapped materials. If deemed necessaryor desirable, in addition or in the alternative, a cleansing media suchas a toothpaste or gel may be disposed in the oral hygiene arch beforeengagement with the teeth, or a cleansing paste or gel may be applied tothe teeth before the oral hygiene arch is received thereon. Then, duringthe chewing movement of the jaw, the cleanser will work in conjunctionwith the micro-fibrils to effectively distribute the cleanser into andabout all cavities and recesses in and between the teeth and along thegum line. The distribution of cleanser and the engagement of the teethwith the micro-fibrils quickly and effectively cleanses, simultaneously,all teeth in the dental arch.

In an exemplary embodiment, the oral hygiene arches are made of arelatively inexpensive material so as to enable disposal after each use.The oral hygiene arches can be made by stamping or molding operationsand, if necessary, the main body thereof can be formed frommulti-material layers to obtain the desired strength and shapeproperties as well as to accommodate the tooth cleansing component(s) asdescribed in greater detail below.

In an exemplary embodiment, the main body may be formed from ethylenevinyl acetate (EVA), e.g., 0.02 inches to 0.035 inches thick, which canbe readily formed into the trough-like dental arch shape by formingstrips of material, e.g., {fraction (3/4)} inch wide EVA, that are thenheated and stamped or pressed to form the U-shaped trough. In thealternative, the main body may be molded at the outset into the U-shapedtrough form. The main body can also be made of hydrocolloid or gelatinor pectin.

The micro-fibrils may be integrally molded with the main body. To do so,the mold defining the inner surface of the main body is drilled todefine a plurality of minute holes therethrough, corresponding to thesize and location of the micro-fibrils to be formed. Then, during themolding process, a vacuum is pulled from the side of the mold oppositethe die face, to draw the molding material of the main body into thedrilled holes, thereby to define the micro-fibrils. Because the moldedmaterial is selected to be flexible (elastic) a release angle is notrequired for the micro-fibrils. Similarly, to form the micro capsules,small suitably located protrusions are formed on the die face, wherebythe micro cavities are defined when the main body is removed from themold.

As an alternative to integrally molding the micro-fibrils with the mainbody, a tooth cleansing micro-fibril layer may be applied/attached tothe main body before or after the trough-like oral hygiene archstructure is formed. For example, a second layer of material may belaminated to the main body, the second layer sheet having micro-fibrilsformed thereon. In addition to micro-fibrils, the micro-fibril layer mayinclude small pockets such as micro cavities or vacuoles interspersedwith the micro-fibrils. As mentioned above, the micro cavities maycontain chemicals, dentifrices, medicaments, flavorings, etc.

The micro-fibril layer may be formed from ethylene vinyl acetate,hydrocolloid or another resin. An advantage of hydrocolloid in thisregard is that it is biologically well tolerated and its stiffness canbe varied. Indeed, the characteristics of the medium selected must beconsistent with the subsequent processing to which the main body will besubjected as well as the intended use of the product. For example, ifthe main body structure is formed to its arch shaped form afterattachment of the micro-fibril layer, the material of the layer must beselected such that the subsequent re-shaping of the main body will notsubstantially damage the preformed micro-fibrils.

The layer or strip of micro-fiber carrying material may be fused orjoined to the main body by solvent-bonding or by using adhesive, orother means known in the art, or the micro-fiber layer can beover-molded to a previously molded outer shell. In the latter case, theouter shell may be molded to include protuberances on the inner surfacethereof, to mechanically retain the layer molded thereto. As with theintegrally formed micro-fibrils, in use the trough is disposed tooverlie the teeth and the user then employs a chewing motion, the resultof which is to engage the teeth with the micro-fiber carrying strips tocleanse the inner and outer surfaces, as well as the end surfaces, ofthe teeth.

As an alternative to forming micro-fibrils on the surface of the mainbody, integrally or as an attached layer, a tooth cleaning medium,preferably including micro-fibrils, is molded into or otherwisedeposited in the trough of the main body. An example of this alternateembodiment of the invention is schematically depicted in FIGS. 4-5. Inthis embodiment, rather than micro-fibrils projecting from the main bodyof the oral hygiene arch, the main body 112 of the oral hygiene arch 110is filled with a suitable tooth engaging gel-like material 130, such asflexible hydrocolloid, pectin, gelatin, methyl glucose or the like, orin the alternative a cellulose sponge-like material. If deemed necessaryor desirable, to mechanically retain the added medium, the main body maybe molded to include protuberances on the inner surface thereof. The gelor other material is provided to suspend micro-fibril carriers 132 thatare adapted to engage and cleanse the teeth during a biting or chewingaction. In the illustrated example, the main body or outer shell 112 isfilled with a flexible hydrocolloid 130 having a texture as stiffgelatin. Inside the filler are a plurality of micro-fibril carriers 132,for example, spheres of harder hydrocolloid covered with an array ofmicro fibrils 122. The spheres are typically one to several millimetersin diameter and the micro-fibrils are typically about 10 to 20 micronsin diameter and about 100 to several hundred microns long. The spacingbetween the microfibrils is typically about 40 to several hundredmicrons. The spherical carriers are themselves distributed throughoutthe medium deposited in the trough of the main body. As the user chewsthe oral hygiene arch, the fibrils will clean all exposed surfaces,including areas around missing teeth and around braces. The filler maybe flavored and/or incorporate breath fresheners or cleansers as well.

By way of example, the gel or other medium may substantially fill thetrough, as illustrated. In the alternative, the medium may be formed assidewall layers, having a thickness of 3-6 mm on each side of a centraltooth receiving pocket. In the latter case, the pocket is sized andadditional slots or cutouts may be provided to ensure release of theteeth from the medium during the chewing, tooth cleansing motion of thejaw. Thus, it will be possible for the teeth to move relative to thetrough main body during a chewing or biting action so that the teethmove relative to the tooth cleansing components suspended in the mediumdisposed within the trough, thereby effectively removing plaque andother medium from the teeth.

The main body of the oral hygiene arch provided in accordance with theinvention may be furnished in different sizes to accommodate differentarch sizes, but typically three to five sizes, such as large, medium orsmall will be sufficient to meet the requirements of most potentialusers. By way of example, for a small dental arch, the width of troughof the main body would be about 10-14 mm and the height of the main bodywould be about 8-14 mm; for a medium dental arch, the width of trough ofthe main body would be about 12-16 mm and the height of the main bodywould be about 11-16 mm; and for a large dental arch, the width oftrough of the main body would be about 14-18 mm and the height of themain body would be about 11-17 mm, the trough widths depending uponwhether the oral hygiene arch is adapted for the upper dental arch orlower dental arch. Also it is envisioned that the posterior portion ofthe main body will have a lesser hight and a wider trough than theanterior portion thereof. It should also be noted that the flexibilityof the main body will allow the oral hygiene arch to conform todifferent jaw shapes, tooth shapes and misaligned teeth.

Thus, it will be seen that the oral hygiene arch of the invention caneffectively and quickly be used to cleanse the teeth by a simple andrelatively brief chewing motion so that the time consuming and tediousprocess of using a toothbrush to brush each surface of each tooth oreach adjacent pair of teeth will be realized with the invention.

A second oral hygiene arch substantially corresponding to the oralhygiene arch used for the teeth of the upper jaw may be applied to theteeth of the lower jaw. The two oral hygiene arches may be used at thesame time for simultaneously treatment of the upper and lower teeth. Inthe alternative, a single oral hygiene arch may be used to cleanse boththe upper teeth and the lower teeth in succession. It is to beunderstood that an advantage of the simultaneous use of two arches isthat the engagement of the main bodies of the upper and lower oralhygiene arches will create a frictional resistance which will tend tohold the oral hygiene arches in place as the teeth of the upper andlower jaws are moved relative thereto to effect the cleansing action. Asyet a further alternative, the oral hygiene arches may be-connected inpairs for simultaneous application to the upper and lower teeth.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. A device for cleansing teeth, comprising: a housing extending in anarch and defining an open top channel along the length thereof forplacement over an arch of teeth; and a plurality of cleansing componentsdisposed within said channel for engaging and cleansing side and bottomsurfaces of the teeth in said channel, said cleansing componentscomprising micro-fibrils.
 2. A device as in claim 1, wherein saidhousing includes a base wall and inner and outer side walls definingsaid channel, and wherein said micro-fibrils extend from at least one ofsaid walls of said housing.
 3. A device as in claim 2, wherein saidmicro-fibrils are each about 10-20 microns wide.
 4. A device as in claim3, wherein said micro-fibrils are each at least about 100 microns long.5. A device as in claim 2, further comprising a plurality ofmicro-cavities defined in said walls interspersed with themicro-fibrils.
 6. A device as in claim 5, further comprising at leastone of a dentifrice, a medicament, and a flavored media disposed in saidmicro-cavities.
 7. A device as in claim 2, wherein there are about40,000 said micro-fibrils per square centimeter on said at least onewall.
 8. A device as in claim 2, wherein said micro-fibrils areintegrally molded with said walls.
 9. A device as in claim 1, whereinsaid cleansing components comprise micro-fibril carriers dispersed in amedium deposited in said channel.
 10. A device as in claim 9, whereinsaid micro-fibril carriers comprise spheres of hydrocolloid materialcovered with an array of micro fibrils.
 11. A device as in claim 9,wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of flexiblehydrocolloid, pectin, gellan, and methyl glucose.
 12. An oral hygienedevice comprising: a flexible, trough-shaped main body member havingside walls and a bottom wall of substantial equal thickness and beinggenerally arcuate in shape to receive and envelope substantially all theteeth projecting from a human jaw, in spaced relation from said teeth;and a plurality of micro-fibrils projecting inwardly from at least oneof the walls of said main body member for engaging a surfaces of theteeth or an adjacent gum surface at the end thereof, at least when thejaw is engaged in a chewing motion, thereby to cleanse said surfacesupon motion of the teeth.
 13. An oral hygiene device as in claim 12,wherein said micro-fibrils are each about 10-20 microns wide.
 14. Anoral hygiene device as in claim 13, wherein said micro-fibrils are eachat least about 100 microns long.
 15. An oral hygiene device as in claim12, further comprising a plurality of micro-cavities defined in saidwalls interspersed with the micro-fibrils.
 16. An oral hygiene device asin claim 15, further comprising at least one of a dentifrice, amedicament, and a flavored media disposed in said micro-cavities.
 17. Anoral hygiene device as in claim 12, wherein said micro-fibrils areintegrally molded with said walls.